The winter trees and shrubs in your yard and neighborhood hold many secrets of the past season, as well as those to come. Get out and explore this winter. / Rob Zimmer/Post-Crescent Media.

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Post-Crescent Media

Have you taken a close look at the trees in your neighborhood, backyard or at a local nature center lately? What do you see?

The winter trees are filled with beautiful secrets of seasons past, as well as seasons to come.

You might find the intricate woven structure of a small birdís nest sewn among the branches of a neighborhood tree or shrub. Peek inside and examine the structure to see how the nest was created. Examine the materials used to make the nest, you may find some that surprise you. Hair, ribbon and grasses, mud and pieces of cloth, plant fibers and seeds all come together to form the beautiful cradles these feathered creatures create each spring.

Dangling from the branches like large silver bells, you may find the nests of bald-faced hornets in the winter trees. The hard work of these busy creatures is displayed in the artistic patterns and formations crafted by these brilliant papermakers.

As you examine the trees in your neighborhood, pay special attention to the tips of the branches. Already, the buds are formed for next yearís flowers and leaves. Cottonwoods and magnolias, especially, boast gigantic buds at this time, seemingly ready to burst with the first sunny days of warmth.

Maples boast huge flower buds as well, while birches are dispensing their seeds to the winter wind from fresh, dangling catkins among the branches.

And then, there is the bark. Examination of the bark of many of the common native and backyard trees of our area opens up a whole new world of winter exploration.